Familiarity benefits Bulldogs

How important is it to get along with your teammates? Can that make much difference in winning and losing, or does it come down to more quantifiable reasons like talent and execution?

Batavia senior center Becca Heimsath says getting everyone on the same page has been a big key to the Bulldogs' hot start to the second half.

"We're getting more used to each other and everything is clicking finally and it's fun," Heimsath said. "In the beginning we would argue, just stupid things, but we worked that out halfway though the season."

Their coach Tim DeBruycker agreed to a point while expanding on Heimsath's observation.

"I think we are passing the ball better, communicating better and possibly even trusting every player," DeBruycker said. "We know now all five of those girls can contribute, when early on I think we were looking to Kara (Lydon) and Natalie (Tarter) a little too much. Now it comes crunch time and Melissa (Norville) is confident, Sara (Fruendt) is confident, even Becca (Heimsath) can step up when we need her to in the middle. These girls have played so many games together I'm starting to see some benefits of that too."

The Bulldogs play at St. Charles East tonight to conclude a stretch of four games in six days. They are pointing to a regular-season-ending game against undefeated Geneva as a chance to really make a statement before the Class 4A Waubonsie Valley sectional begins.

"Our goal is to win out in conference and set up that head-to-head with Geneva," DeBruycker said, a scenario that would give the Bulldogs a share of the Western Sun title. "Our goal when they come here is to beat them. We're not going to roll over."

This isn't so bad: If your first emotion is to feel bad for Kelsey Smith and St. Charles North for having to play five games in five days last week, don't.

It could be worse.

"Sometimes we like games better than practice anyway," Smith smiled.

The North Stars started the week with three losses before bouncing back with big wins Saturday over Lincoln-Way East and Buffalo Grove.

Smith also said that a few recent games when the team hasn't been getting to the free-throw line as much as it would like will only help come postseason time.

"We haven't gotten many calls and that's a little frustrating at times but at the same time you have to stick your chin out and there's nothing else you can do about it," Smith said. "It's going to only help us in the long haul because that's definitely going to happen in the playoffs."